Raphael Varane has opened up on his future, and the damage he has had to endure playing football. The central defender shockingly retired from the French national team in 2023 in spite of being one of the captains, citing injuries as the reason.
A lot was expected of him when he joined Manchester United, but things haven’t gone according to plan. And repeated injuries have played a significant role in keeping him from living up to his reputation earned at Real Madrid.
Raphael Varane speaks on concussions and his history
“I don’t know if I will live to be 100, but I know that I have damaged my body,” Varane said in an interview with L’Equipe.
“When we look at three of the worst matches of my career, there are at least two before which I had a concussion a few days earlier,” Varane said.
Raphael Varane talked about his experience at the 2014 World Cup, where he was injured while playing against Nigeria.
“I finished the match but I’m in ‘autopilot’ mode. If someone had spoken to me at that time, I don’t even know if I would have been able to respond,” he added.
Talking about the match against Germany where he captained the French team, he said: “I was not in my normal state and so I was taken care of. I had lost weight because I was dehydrated, I was out of shape but played because it was a World Cup quarter-final.”
Although the awareness about head injuries and concussions has increased across football at the top level, there remains a significant risk involved for players. Aged 30, Varane might not play for much longer considering the toll it has taken on his body. But when fit, he is truly an asset for the team he plays for.
